Jean-Baptiste Muiron (10 January 1774 – 15 November 1796) was a French Army officer. He rose to fame by allegedly sacrificing himself to save the life of General Bonaparte at the Battle of the Bridge of Arcole. A frigate captured in Venice, the Muiron, was renamed in his honour.
Muiron was killed at the Battle of the Bridge of Arcole, allegedly covering Bonaparte with his body to protect him.[1] Bonaparte wrote highly of him in his subsequent letters.
Legacy
After Venice was captured by Bonaparte in retaliation for the massacre of crew of the lugger Libérateur d'Italie, the peace treaty comprised secret articles stipulating that three ships of the line and two frigates would be surrendered to the French. These ships were incorporated in the French Navy as Laharpe, Stengel, Béraud, Carrère and Muiron.[2]
Late in his life, Napoléon is reported to have considered to use "Colonel Muiron" as a pseudonym.[3]